The OTHER Girl
by Blu Taiger
Summary: Pseudo-songfic. The Kalos league has ended. And Ash, along with his new friends, are on their way back to Pallet Town. And Serena is determined that before this trip is over, she WILL confess her feelings to Ash. However, after meeting one of Ash's old friends, she realizes she might be too late. Implied pokeshipping, one-sided amourshipping.


In the region of Kanto, in the sleepy little town of Pallet, there stood a quaint and cozy little cottage. The backyard housed a beautiful garden with flowers reaching to the sky. Occasionally, a butterfree or two would flit through garden, gracing those who witnessed them with their graceful dance.

The evening sun cast it's golden glow on the picturesque scene. And through that heavenly sunshine ran a little girl with honey colored hair and eyes as blue as a beautiful summer sky. She laughed and giggled in euphoric delight as she frollicked about while pikachu and delphox playfully chased after her.

From the loveseat on the porch, Serena watched her little angel as she laughed and played with the pokémon. She breathed a blissful sigh; this was truly all she ever wanted. Everything she had ever strived for, all her hopes and dreams had been realized, leading to this neverending dream.

Wistfully, she turned her gaze to the man seated beside her; her life partner, her better half, her one true love. He turned to her and smiled radiantly, as though the very sun was beaming at her; those smiles that made her heart melt everytime. He gave her hand a gentle, loving squeeze and gazed deeply into his warm, caring, hazelnut eyes.

"Serena…" he purred to her with a voice like rich cocoa.

"Ash…" she cooed back, eyes misting over.

"Serena…"

"... Ash…"

"... _Serena_ …"

"Oh, _Ash_ …"

"Sereeena…"

" _Aaash_ …"

" _HEY SERENA!_ "

Serena snapped back to full alertness, her flight of fancy vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Yes, her euphoric dream had been just that - a dream.

Before her stood the subject and source of her revery; Ash Ketchum - albeit a couple decades younger than he had appeared in her vision. But still the same cheerful boy she loved so much.

"Wh, what is it, Ash?" she asked, breathily.

"Clemont says that lunch is almost ready!" the boy answered.

"Oh, okay. Thanks!"

Ash gave the girl a long, scrutinizing gaze. "... Are you feeling alright?" he asked at length. "I had to call you like, five times."

Serena suddenly felt heat rising to her cheeks. Plastering on a wide smile, she said. "Oh yeah! I'm fine, you know, just… thinking… about some… things."

"... So you're sure there's nothing wrong?..." Ash probed with a concerned expression.

"Yes, absolutely!" she answered, smile brightening.

"Oh, okay." he finally said. He then turned and walked away, calling "C'mon! You don't wanna miss lunch!"

Serena watched as Ash walked off. Her smile became softer, yet deeper and her blush burned hotter. That Ash, always so compassionate. It was that compassion that had first attracted her to him.

She could still remember that day, five years ago, when they had first met. She was attending Professor Oak's summer camp and she had scraped her knee in the woods. She was alone, frightened and hurt, left to bemoan her fate and suffer without a friend in the world. Then, out of nowhere, this boy appeared; and once he saw that she was hurt, he lept into action without a moment's hesitation. Before even introducing himself, he produced a handkerchief and bound her injured knee with it, all the while keeping a calm and reassuring smile on his face. He then lent her his shoulder as they hobbled together back to the main building of the camp.

It was a memory Serena would treasure for as long as she lived.

She had vowed to herself at that moment that she would one day marry that boy, that gallant hero who had come to her rescue.

Of course, the camp ended and she had to return to Kalos. Years passed and she had all but forgotten about that silly little promise. But then, for the second time, Ash Ketchum had suddenly appeared out of the blue. And that little flame she thought had flickered out flared back to life brighter than ever before.

This was destiny, she knew it! One day, Ash and she would be together - forever.

* * *

Once they had eaten and cleaned up, the small party set off once more. Ash took the lead, striding with high steps and jubilant spirits; his faithful pikachu perched in his usual spot on Ash's shoulder. Serena followed close behind, doing her best to keep pace with the boy striding so purposefully. Next came little Bonnie who skipped along, humming a merry, nonsensical tune. Bringing up the rear was Bonnie's older brother, Clemont, who trudged forward, encumbered by the weight of the heavy backpack he always wore.

"Kanto sure is pretty!" Bonnie squealed, as she admired the passing countryside.

Serena made a hum of agreement. She was glad they had come - and not just for the scenery.

It had started the night the Kalos league had ended. As they talked during dinner, Ash announced that he would be heading home. Serena reeled from this news - true, she had figured that Ash would go back to Kanto after the league was over, but it all just seemed to be happening so fast. There was still so much she wanted to do with him - so much she needed to _tell_ him! As her mind scrambled over what to do, she asked him what Kanto was like. So Ash spent the next few minutes describing his home region with great relish; he spoke of his home town of pallet as well as many other towns and cities he had visited. Serena became enamored by Ash's picturesque description of Kanto and she wistfully commented that she wished she could visit sometime.

It was then that Ash suggested that they could come with him.

Naturally, the three Kalos natives thought this was a great idea. It took a little persuasion to get their parents to agree, but eventually, Serena's mom and Clemont and Bonnie's dad gave their consent.

Serena thought back on those events with all seriousness. Once again, it seemed that fate had stepped in to give her more time with Ash; and she intended to make the most of it. She was determined - no matter what - that before this trip was through, she would tell Ash about her feelings for him!

As the sun began it's downward descent, they suddenly came to overlook a vast swath of buildings. Ash looked at his companions with a beaming expression. Gesturing to the city below, he loudly proclaimed "Welcome to Cerulean City!"

* * *

The group traveled along; the Kalos natives looked around in admiration of the many places of Cerulean as Ash guided them along. Eventually, they came to a quaint park where they stopped and ordered some hot dogs for dinner. They sat at a picnic table and dug into their meal while Ash continued to describe the attractions the city had to offer.

"... And then there's the Cerulean Cape; It's a popular place to go on dates… or, so I've heard…"

Serena's heart fluttered and her mouth twitched into a small smile - was Ash suggesting what she _thought_ he was?

"Sounds pretty!" Bonnie chirped, beaming. Dedenne gave a squeak of approval from it's nest in her little handbag.

"Yeah." Ash agreed, swallowing a mouthful of hot dog. "... And, of course, there's the Cerulean Gym! That's where I earned my Cascade Badge!" His eyes seemed to lose focus for a second after that. But the moment passed and he gave Pikachu a scratch on the head. "That was some battle, huh buddy?"

Pikachu, who had been cheerfully licking up a ketchup packet, replied with a happy ' _Chaaaa_ ' before returning to his sweet treat.

Rather than returning to his own meal, Ash just sort of looked off into the distance for a time. That time stretched on… and on… so much so that Serena started to grow concerned. "Um, Ash?... A-are you alright?..."

Ash snapped his attention to her, then plastered on his usual, boyish smile. "Oh, yeah… I guess I was just… reminiscing, a bit…" He then returned to his hot dog with his usual fervor.

Just then, Bonnie - who had finished her own hot dog - popped up, saying "Clemont, can we go get some ice cream?"

"Sure." the blonde boy adjusted his glasses before taking his sister by the hand and walking off.

Serena watched the siblings wander away before she realized something - Ash and she were alone - _together!_ Her heart started thumping and she felt vivillon fluttering in her stomach. It was as if fate were prodding her in the back - she knew she probably wouldn't get another opportunity like this again. It was time to make her dream a reality. "... _Sooo_ …" she turned to Ash with a wide, toothy smile. "Looks like it's just the two of us, now…"

Ash's eyes darted to the retreating figures of the Lumiose siblings "Yeah, guess so…" he hummed.

Serena tried to get her breathing under control as she looked back into his face - that wonderful, adorable, _charming_ face.

"Uuuh, _Serena_ …" Ash's voice suddenly brought her back to Earth.

 _Oh no!_ How long had she been staring?! Had Ash been creeped out?! _NeverMIND! Get your head in the game!_ Clemont and Bonnie could be back any time!...

"... Are you sure you're okay?" Ash asked. "You've been kinda… _spacey_ … today."

" _I'mfineREALLY!_ " she answered a little too forcefully. She took a couple deep breaths to ease her nerves and calm her stampeding heartbeat. When she felt she could carry on like a normal person, she continued. "Ash… _um_ ,... the thing is… there's something I need to tell you… something I've been wanting to say for a long time, now…"

Ash turned his full attention to her - looking at her with intense focus.

Serena took a big gulp; _here goes nothing_. "Ash,..."

"You're a _keeper_!"

The sudden outburst caused Ash to whip his head around. Mentally cursing, Serena looked to see what was happening.

Seated at the table right beside theirs was an attractive young lady. And genuflecting on one knee before her - one hand stretched out toward the lady, the other clutching an ice cream cone - was Bonnie.

The little blonde girl looked up at the astonished young woman with starry eyes and a spectacular smile. She continued. "Will you take care of my brother? He's _very_ shy, but he's smart and hard working! He needs a _good woman_ to be his _wife_!"

" _BONNIE!_ " Clemont's irate voice bellowed. His mechanical aipom arm extended from the base of his backpack, seizing his errant sister by the nape of her shirt and hoisting her off the ground. He tromped away from the young lady's table with Bonnie in tow, saying. " _How many times do I have to tell you, DON'T DO THAT!_ "

Bonnie, meanwhile, called back to the young woman. " _Promise you'll think about it!_ "

Serena groaned inwardly. She didn't want to begrudge Bonnie, but the exuberant girl _had_ caused her to miss her golden opportunity with Ash!

She turned back to Ash, hoping she might be able to take _some_ thing away from this, but she found his seat empty.

She found him at the young lady's table, looking at the newspaper she had with rapt attention - much to her chagrin.

"Excuse me, is this _today's_ paper?" he asked her with an unexplainable, anxious energy.

"Uh, _yeah!_ Not likely to be reading yesterday's news, am I?" she replied in an annoyed tone.

Without another word, Ash jogged over to Clemont's retreating figure. Clapping the boy on the shoulder, he said. " _Clemont, what time is it?!_ "

" _Erm_ ,... it's a… quarter to six." Clemont answered, confusedly.

" _Quarter to six… okay, if we hurry, we can JUST make it. COME ON!_ " Ash suddenly dashed away in a mad frenzy - leaving his friends to scramble to catch up to him.

" _ASH,_ what are you _doing?!_ " Serena hollered when she finally got to him. "What's going _on?_ Where are we _going?!_ "

But Ash just huffed as he kept running. " _Can't… talk!... Gotta… keep… MOVING!_ "

Frustrated, Serena turned to the little electric type clutching his shoulder. " _What's… gotten into him,... Pikachu?!_ "

In response, the yellow mouse uttered a single word. " _Pikachupi._ "

* * *

One long jog later, the Kalos natives found themselves standing before a dome shaped building painted with pink and gold stripes with an image of a sleek, white pokémon on the roof. They approached the door where a brightly smiling Ash greeted them with a fan of tickets in his hand.

Ash then led them into a large stadium-like room. The room's walls were packed with seats - most of which were filled with an assortment of people. And in the center of the theater, was a huge tank full of water.

"Made it just in time!" Ash breathed a sigh of relief when he took his seat.

"But in time for _what?_ " Serena hissed in an annoyed tone. (Which earned her a _shushing_ from the people behind her.) " _You still haven't told us what this is all about!_ " she added in a quieter tone.

Before anyone could say anything else, spotlights illuminated the tank and a thunderous applause issued from the audience.

Serena quickly figured out what they had come to see. And when she saw it, she simply _couldn't_ believe it. Ash had dragged them all this way, in such a _hurry_ , to see a _ballet?_ A _WATER ballet_ at that?! She just couldn't fathom this. Ash had never shown any sort of interest in this kind of thing before; what had brought it on? The idea so perplexed her that she could hardly pay attention to the play being performed. (From what she could gather, there was some sort of water nymph who got lost after following a wayward horsea and had to find her way home with help from a charming human boy - or _some_ thing like that.)

When the performance had ended, the audience gave a standing ovation. Serena - still not _entirely_ sure what she had just seen - clapped out of politeness more than anything. Clemont applauded earnestly, apparently having genuinely enjoyed the show. Bonnie was _less_ enthusiastic. ("What's so amazing about watching a bunch of girls swimming around in a tank, anyway." she had heard her say.) Ash, on the other hand, was _ecstatic_ \- slapping his hands together as loudly as possible and cheering with excited vigor.

With that all said and done, Serena figured that it would be time to go. However, Ash had other ideas. He suggested they take a look around the place. "They've got hallways lined with tanks on either side. You can see all sorts of different fish and pokémon swimming around!" he had said. And that won Bonnie over.

Serena couldn't help but smile ruefully at the six year old girl's enthusiasm. Yes, watching girls swimming in a tank, that was boring. Watching _fish_ swimming in a tank, _that_ was entertainment.

So they followed Ash to see the various aquariums. Serena had to admit, there was a wide variety of fish swimming about; and despite her annoyance, it _was_ actually fun. Still, she couldn't get over Ash's mysterious behavior. She felt like he was hiding something and she didn't like it!

After several minutes, Serena approached Ash, saying. "Okay Ash, this has been fun and all, but I think we ought to go now."

Ash thought on that for a tick and replied. "Yeah, it's probably been long enough. _c'mon!_ "

 _Long enough for WHAT?!_ she pondered as she and the Lumiose siblings followed after him.

Eventually, Ash led them to a door, which he paused at with some trepidation. After nervously running a hand through his hair, he rapidly rapped his knuckles against it.

From the other side of the door, a feminine voice asked "Who is it?"

Ash's response was. "Open the door and see!"

After taking a second to process that, the voice said. "Is this some kind of joke? I don't have time for this sort of thing!"

"What about for old _friends?_ " Ash countered.

There was silence on the other side of the door. Then, tentatively, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a girl's face - the same girl who had played the water nymph.

When she saw who was standing before her, the girl drew a sharp intake of breath. "... Ash?" she breathed, her voice just above a whisper.

"Misty." Ash answered, voice hitching a bit.

After the initial shock wore off, a sparkle lit up in the girl's eyes and her mouth spread into a wide smile. " _ASH!_ " She pounced on the boy, slinging her arms around his shoulders.

" _MISTY!_ " Ash cheered, wrapping his own arms around her waist and giving her a squeeze.

Serena felt heat rising in her cheeks. Who was this,... this… _hussie_ and what made her think she could hold _HER_ boy like that?! No, no, settle down, now… After all, Ash said they were old friends. Clearly they hadn't seen each other in a long time, that's all. No reason to suspect there was anything more to it than that… _none whatsoever_ … Then again, she _was_ holding him awfully _tight!_ No, _NO!_ Best not to think like that!

After what felt like entirely too long for Serena, Ash and the girl broke their embrace - though they still held each other at arm's length. Now Serena could get a decent look at her. There was no denying she was good looking, with a slim and toned figure and long, graceful legs and porcelain skin. Her face was picturesque with a smile full of bright white teeth and large, green-blue eyes that sparkled with mirth. Her hair was a fiery red - gathered into a side ponytail. It was unkempt, but that only added to her beauty - giving her the look of an indomitable spirit.

"It's so good to see you!" the girl said to Ash.

"Yeah, you too!" Ash responded. "I've really missed you, Misty."

"I've missed you, too." she cooed, beaming at him.

" _Pikachupi!_ " Pikachu suddenly leaped off of Ash's shoulder straight into the girl's arms. He snuggled into her, affectionately nuzzling her with a warm " _Chaaaa…_ "

She giggled, softly. "And I missed you _too_ , Pikachu." she hummed, stroking the rodent's fur.

Just then, there was a sound from the door. Looking down, they could see a little blue mouse looking up at the gathering of people wondrously.

"Hey Azurill, look who's here!" the girl cheered, nodding her head in Ash's direction. Pikachu then joyfully bounced out of her arms and bounded over to the smaller rodent. The azurill, after seeing Pikachu face to face, started bouncing up and down, cheerfully calling it's call. The two mice then started playfully chasing each other.

Ash and the girl watched their pokémon scamper off, then turned their attention back to each other. "So, did you have a good time in Kalos?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, Kalos was a blast! I got to see so many amazing places and meet all sorts of cool, new pokémon!"

"Really?!" she gasped, enthralled. "Tell me all about it!"

And he would have, too - if Clemont hadn't taken that moment to strategically clear his throat. "Um, _Ash_ …" he prodded.

"... Oh! _Right!_..." Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Then, grabbing the girl by her shoulders, he gently pushed her toward the three Kalos natives."Guys, this is Misty! She was my _first_ traveling companion!"

Serena's hands unconsciously clenched into fists. It felt like a block of ice landed in her stomach. His _FIRST_ companion?!

Ash continued. "Misty, these are my friends from Kalos; Clemont, Bonnie and Serena!"

Then she waved to them, with a smile that lit up like a beam of sunshine. And with her warm, mellow voice said. "Hello. It's nice to meet you all."

Clemont offered a respectful "Hello, there."

Serena murmured a feeble " _Mmm,... Hi._ "

And Bonnie jubilantly declared " _You're a KEEPER!_ " and once again she was on one knee, giving her 'Will you take care of my brother' speech to a bewildered Misty. And once again, she was quickly ushered away; only not by Clemont, but by _Ash!_

Surprised, Clemont and Serena's heads turned to follow Ash as he pushed Bonnie along, stammering something about going to look at the fish, or something.

Everyone was still for a moment, letting what had just happened sink in.

Eventually, Clemont turned to Misty. "So, uh… What's it like putting on shows like this? Do you enjoy it?"

Misty shrugged. "It's… _okay_ , but it's not _really_ my thing. Honestly, I consider myself a gym leader _first_ and a performer second."

" _YOU'RE the gym leader?!_ " Clemont asked, exuberantly. At her affirming nod, he declared "That's _amazing!_ I'm a gym leader, myself, actually."

" _Really?!_ " Misty beamed at the discovered common ground.

Clemont then briefly described his gym back in Lumiose City - along with the pokémon he battled with. "So what about you?" he asked. "I'll bet you have some strong pokémon for your gym battles."

"Sure do!" she answered with pride. "Wanna see 'em?!"

So she led them to a room with a huge pool where an assortment of Kanto water types were frolicking about. Misty introduced them to an intimidating gyarados, an exuberant politoed, a confused psyduck, a dazzling starmie, a prickly corsola, a tough staryu and others.

The Kalos natives looked on these marvelous pokémon in awe - to which the pokémon reacted appreciatively.

And then they saw Ash.

Suddenly, the three Kalos natives had to quickly duck away as the pokémon stampeded over to the young trainer. Even the psyduck, as confounded as he appeared, found himself meandering to the boy's side.

Ash laughed joyfully. It wasn't the sort of reaction one might expect from a boy who had suddenly been mobbed by a horde of monsters. But Ash acted as though he were reuniting with old friends. "How's it going, guys? Aw, I missed you, too."

Serena watched Ash joyously petting and playing with all of them. An uncomfortable feeling welled up inside of her. Who _was_ Ash to this girl that even her _pokémon_ flocked to him?

* * *

"It sure was nice of Misty to let us stay for the night!" said Bonnie as she changed into her tyrantrum onesie.

Serena made a noncommittal hum in response.

The group had ended up staying long after sunset. They had talked the whole evening away - the three from Kalos got to know Misty and Misty asked about Kalos and she and Ash reminisced on their past adventures. (And all the while, Ash had never left Misty's side.) Eventually, they realized how late it was and started fretting over finding a place to sleep. That's when Misty offered to let them spend the night there.

Serena could still recall the voices she'd overheard as Misty had persuaded her sisters to let them stay.

" _This, like, isn't a hotel, Misty!"_

" _Please, Daisy? Ash and his friends just need a place to stay for the night!"_

" _... Oh, ASH, eh?"_

Serena shivered. She did _not_ like the suggestive tone she had used, not at all.

Over to the side, Bonnie was still chattering on. "She's really something, isn't she?... I wonder why Ash didn't let me finish asking her to take care of Clemont? Did he think she wouldn't make a good wife for him? What do you think, Serena?"

Serena stood still for a moment, not quite sure how to respond. Eventually she simply gave a flat "I don't know." Though privately, she had her suspicions - that Ash had stopped Bonnie for decidedly more _selfish_ reasons.

After the girls said their 'goodnights', Serena lay in her sleeping bag, staring at the ceiling. His _first_ companion… what did that _mean?_ She had heard that there was an unbreakable bond between a trainer and their first _pokémon_ , and that was certainly true for Ash and Pikachu; in all his travels, Ash had never _once_ been without the electric mouse at his side. But did the same hold true for _human_ companions? These thoughts kept swarming like beedrill through her mind, until she eventually nodded off.

* * *

As she dreamed, Serena found herself looking at a quaint and cozy cottage. In the back yard, there was a magnificent garden with flowers reaching to the sky and butterfree flitting about merrily. And there was a little girl, laughing excitedly as the pokémon chased her through the yard.

Serena sighed contently as she watched the scene unfold.

But wait, something wasn't right! Before, the girl had always had honey-blonde hair and shining blue eyes. Now she was sporting feathery orange locks and eyes that were deep green, like the sea. And something else was the matter; she had been frolicking through the yard with Pikachu - that, at least, was still the same - but Delphox was nowhere to be seen! Instead, there was a clumsy psyduck ambling about.

This,... this wasn't _right!_ What had _happened?!_ Serena needed answers. In a mad dash, she scrambled to the front door and shoved it open - only it wouldn't budge. She pushed and prodded with all her might, but the door remained firmly shut. Frustrated, she started pounding the door, banging on the wood as hard as she could, trying to gain entry.

Finally, the door swung open. And in the doorway stood Misty.

"Oh, it's _you._ " she sneered derisively down her nose at Serena. "What do _you_ want?"

Serena gaped at the redhead, her breathing heavy. " _Wha_ ,... What are _you_ doing here?!"

"I _live_ here!" she answered with a gloating smirk. "With my daughter and _husband, ASH!_ "

Serena's expression fell, a feeling of dread welling up inside of her. "But,... No, that can't… _I_ was…"

Misty suddenly spouted a loud, cruel laugh. "Oh, you _stupid_ little girl! You didn't honestly think Ash would choose _you_ over _me_ , did you?! I mean, have you _seen me_? _I'm_ the whole package! Beautiful, intelligent, world famous, a top notch gym leader and trainer of some of the most powerful pokémon you'll ever see!

"Given all that, why on earth would Ash choose a _mediocre_ pokémon performer? One who _cried like a baby_ after losing her first performance? A girl so insecure she felt she needed to completely redesign her _entire_ look?!"

"It, it was supposed to represent a f,f,fresh s,st,start…" Serena sniffed.

"Keep telling yourself that, you're only fooling _yourself!_ " Misty countered with perverse glee.

Then, from inside the house, came a voice. "Who's at the door, Misty?" Serena's hopes lifted, it was Ash!

Misty turned, and in a revoltingly sweet voice, said. "No one, _darling_. Just Serena, that's all."

"... Oh." said Ash, sounding disinterested. "Tell her I said Hi."

"Sure thing, _dear_." she then turn to Serena with a vicious, predatory smile. "Run along, now. you're not needed, here." and she slammed the door in her face.

* * *

Serena awoke in a cold sweat. Groggily, she pulled herself to her feet and slowly shuffled out of the room. All of these recent events were just too much, she needed to clear her head. Maybe a little walk and some fresh air would help.

During her midnight wandering, she suddenly found herself in the main sitting room where the boys were sleeping. As if she subconsciously knew that being near Ash would make her feel better.

Quiet as a spritzee, she crept over to the couch where Ash had made his bed. The sight of him instantly buoyed her spirits with a feeling of warmth. He looked so peaceful, as if he hadn't a care in the world. She gazed fondly at his disheveled hair. Ever since she had met him again, she had wanted to run her fingers through those ebon locks. She never acted on those impulses as she feared it would seem a bit too forward. But now,... now her soul was in turmoil, and she felt what small comfort it would give would be worth the risk.

Ever so slowly, she stretched her hand toward his resting head. Slowly, careful now, be gentle… just a little…

Ash suddenly stirred.

She quickly pulled her hand back and took a step back from the couch. " _Ash?_..." she breathed.

But Ash settled back down. A small smile tugged at his mouth and he blearily warbled. " _... You were great… Misty…_ "

That name caused Serena's eyes to sting. So that was it, then - her worst fears confirmed. He wanted _HER!_

Quietly as she could, she left the room and the sleeping boys behind. Once out of the room, the tears started falling in earnest.

She found her way to the bathroom. She clutched the sides of the sink and let her tears flow. Why _her?!_ What did Ash see in her? What did that redheaded floozy have that she _didn't?!_ Her shoulders shuddered as the sobs coursed through her.

After an unknowable amount of time, Serena managed to pull herself up and look at herself in the mirror. Her face was red and puffy and scrunched up in unflattering ways.

The sight revolted her.

Misty's taunt from her dream resurfaced in her mind. " _What… are you… CRYING for?!_ " she snarled to her reflection. "You're not going to let that, that… _witch_ be right about you, _ARE YOU?_ You're _better_ than this!" She cupped her face in her hands and slumped against the wall, sobbing softly. "... _You're better than this…_ "

After a time, she found the strength to pull herself up and find her way back to her room. There, she climbed back into her sleeping bag and drifted off into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

* * *

Serena was brought back to wakefulness by some noise sounding from beside her. It was muffled at first, but as she became more aware, she realized it was Bonnie excitedly calling to her.

"Oh, you're awake!" the younger girl cheered. Then she got a look at Serena's face. "... Um,... are you… _feeling_ alright?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Serena could only imagine how frightful she must look. " _... Just had a bad night's sleep, that's all._ " she grumbled.

"... Okay,..." Bonnie sounded dubious, but didn't pry. "Well, breakfast is ready! Everyone's waiting for you!"

Serena groaned as she slid out of her sleeping bag. "I'll be down in a moment. Tell everyone to start without me." she said, lifelessly.

The young blonde duly left and Serena, very slowly, began getting dressed; all the while brooding over Ash and what might have been.

As those miserable thoughts stormed through her mind, a tiny idea suddenly sparked. It was clear how Ash felt about Misty; _but_ ,... how did _she_ feel about _him?!_ Maybe she didn't think about him in a romantic sense. Maybe her feelings for him were strictly platonic. And if that _were_ the case, then maybe Serena could still get her happy ending!

True it wasn't much to go on - merely a pinprick of hope amid sea of despair - but she was going to hold onto it for all it was worth.

* * *

She finally came down to find everyone seated around the table, laughing at something someone had said. Misty was seated along with them. And, once again, Ash was right next to her.

"Hey Serena!" Ash called as she came to sit with them. "You made it!"

"Sorry I'm late." she replied, trying to sound pleasant. Serving herself some food, she continued. "So, everything ready for the last leg of the trip?"

"Just about." Clemont said. "There're still a couple things that need to be packed."

"Yeah, I have a few things to pack, too." said Misty.

Serena nearly choked. " _WHA_ \- erm, what d'you mean?" She was met with odd looks from everyone else at the table.

"Don't you remember -" Ash started. "Oh that's right, you weren't here when -"

"When what?" Serena tried not to sound _too_ anxious.

"Misty's coming with us!" Bonnie declared, ecstatically.

Serena felt like her stomach had dropped out of her. "... _Wha_?! Can,... can you actually _do_ that?! What about your gym?! Surely you can't just up and _leave_?!"

"It's not a problem, really." Misty answered. "I go to visit Ash's mom all the time! In fact, I was planning to make a trip down there soon, anyway, so I figured I might as well."

That uncomfortable feeling welled up inside Serena again. She went to visit his _MOM?!_ That was _not_ promising!

After breakfast was cleaned up, everyone went to take care of their last preparations. Serena, however, sought out Misty. She needed to get to the bottom of this if she was ever going to have peace of mind again. Surely a girl like Misty could have any number of boys vying for her. Serena, on the other hand, could never feel for anyone the way she felt for Ash. If she could just talk it out with the redhead, maybe she could see it that way, too.

She came to the room where Misty was finishing her packing. She took a few deep, steadying breaths. Come on, now. This _needed_ to be done, her future happiness depended on it!Having steeled herself, she plunged into the room. "Um,... _Misty_ …"

The redhead looked up from her bag to see Serena in the doorway. "Oh hi,... _Serena_ , right?"

"... Yeah." Serena took a couple tentative steps into the room. _Well, It's now or never_. "Misty, can I talk to you?" The Cerulean Gym leader turned her full attention to her, a puzzled expression on her face.

"It's about Ash…"

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Ambiguous ending is ambiguous. Feel free to draw your own conclusions as to how their conversation went.

Also, this is my first time writing for Pokémon. So hopefully I did the characters justice.

As I said, this is a pseudo-songfic. And the song it's based on is _Jolene_ , originally by Dolly Parton. If you figured that out, congratulations, you've won the satisfaction of being clever!

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ The characters of Pokémon and the song Jolene are property of their respective owners.


End file.
